Peanut Allergies More Accurately and Safely Diagnosed
Scientists have discovered a new way to test for peanut allergies without exposing the patient, and experiencing less false positives.
Many of us with allergies found out we were allergic to peanuts by exposure, maybe we only experienced an itchy throat, or perhaps a more serious reaction. To be diagnosed with a peanut allergy, you are currently exposed to a skin prick, which is known to produce false positives, then you would undergo an oral food challenge. An oral food challenge consists of exposing a patient to the potential allergen in increasing doses under strict supervision until an attack may occur. Being that peanut allergies are increasingly prevalent in children, and this exposes them to a serious attack before it is confirmed that they are indeed, allergic. But scientists have found a better way, one more accurate and exposing the patient to less discomfort than in the past.
A new study posted in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, has developed a blood test, which could replace the oral food challenge, as a safer, and more accurate alternative. Not only is this method more accurate, but is more cost effective, and doesn't expose patients to an attack. They used blood samples from 174 patients and found with 98% specificity those allergic. Scientists could even determine the severity of the allergy. They are currently trying to make the test effective for other types of allergies, scientists also hope to verify potential allergens in various food and pharmaceutical products. Scientists plan on transitioning the test out of the lab and into a clinical setting soon, if successful the future of allergy testing could be a lot easier.
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